career advancement and networking after moving countries

[Chica Yeyé 41]

reading this post kinda makes me worried about how my Degree will be seen in USA.

Likewise. I just graduated with a BS in Psychology (with Honors) and am worried that no one will take it seriously. I asked my professor for a reference but he said most American universities or jobs won't accept overseas references and/or general recommendations.

Time will tell.

Psychology is one of the "regulated" professions; so you would need to be certified; and chances are get at least an M.A. to open a practice as a Licensed Mental Health Professional. Why not check on the requirements?

[TracyTN 237]

From where I sit, the job thing is about the hardest part of emigrating. At least, it has been for my husband. He had a job he loved and was good at in the UK. He gets here and the best job he can even get them to call him back on is McDonald's.

My advice to those of you emigrating - be well prepared to be underwhelmed with what you find here, education or no. And esp. in this economy. I sort of saw this coming before he got here, but he thought I was being pessimistic. Now he knows better, and I think he wishes he would have prepared himself better (mentally) for it.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

From where I sit, the job thing is about the hardest part of emigrating. At least, it has been for my husband. He had a job he loved and was good at in the UK. He gets here and the best job he can even get them to call him back on is McDonald's.

My advice to those of you emigrating - be well prepared to be underwhelmed with what you find here, education or no. And esp. in this economy. I sort of saw this coming before he got here, but he thought I was being pessimistic. Now he knows better, and I think he wishes he would have prepared himself better (mentally) for it.

I couldn't agree more. Wise words sister Tracy

[rheanick 42]

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

[Tarumba 9]

I did not mean to scare you fellow immigrants! But do be prepared, I mean I am sort of having fun and hell, I am proud about having been promoted to shift manager, from sales associate! hahaha!

Yes, I am applying for forestry jobs in VA, but everything seems to take crazy time, so I have been doing research in Master's Programs that will have me. I think I'll apply for a teaching position in high school (they ask me for a BS that has been evaluated by one of their agencies, so I expect it shouldn't be a problem). I am not too much into academia, and would love to do Forestry related stuff, but I would definitely prefer academia rather than cashieer-emia!

I'll keep all of you in my thoughts, lets hope for the best!

[Tarumba 9]

Do you want to do academic work or would you be interested in doing something like work for the State Parks?

State parks would b awesome... and eventually the forest service...

[Tarumba 9]

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

I actually haven't worked "professionally". I had a very, very long (3 year) internship with a company that evaluated natural resources with satellite imagery, which ended up giving me project managing positions and even sent me to the US to get two short courses (which was awesome, because I SO visited my SO) but nothing after I graduated, because I pretty much bounced from my last class to the plane to be with my dude.

[esoll 0]

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

I immigrated to the US almost 20 years ago and as most immigrant looking for a decent job, no companies looked at me seriously without US degrees or US work experience. My first job then was as a courier, this from a good IT job back in CH. I decided as suggested by rheanick to get as many professional IT certifications as possible and over the years it has paid off greatly so this is the way I will do it again. I am now respected and I am making a good living.

One thing I still believe is a European education is at a higher level than a US education (all being equal) and this is a big plus to advance faster. So nothing is wasted with your foreign degrees.

Good luck.

ESOLL

[soniew910 0]

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

[Ellie-and-David 38]

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

Because the person she married lives in the US? It's a risk all professionals take when they immigrate on this kind of visa without guaranteed work.

I have been working in audit and compliance in the educational sector, and have a law degree. I fully expect to have to take a job in the local mall as a sales associate. I could have had my partner come to England, but his chances of obtaining work that would sustain us when we have a family, was very small as he is a master carpenter......and there is not much work around at the moment.

It's always a risk, but the key is to be realistic about your current career opportunities and to investigate further educational requirements once this is financially feasible.

To be honest, after being an at home worker for so many years....and one of the most hated people in the company (there is not much love lost for internal auditors) I am excited about taking on any role where I get to work with the general public (check in with me in a few months when I realise that most of the general public are horrible)

To the OP - good luck. I hope you manage to find a course of education that meets your requirements and eventually....the job of your dreams

[Tarumba 9]

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

Because the person she married lives in the US? It's a risk all professionals take when they immigrate on this kind of visa without guaranteed work.

I have been working in audit and compliance in the educational sector, and have a law degree. I fully expect to have to take a job in the local mall as a sales associate. I could have had my partner come to England, but his chances of obtaining work that would sustain us when we have a family, was very small as he is a master carpenter......and there is not much work around at the moment.

It's always a risk, but the key is to be realistic about your current career opportunities and to investigate further educational requirements once this is financially feasible.

To be honest, after being an at home worker for so many years....and one of the most hated people in the company (there is not much love lost for internal auditors) I am excited about taking on any role where I get to work with the general public (check in with me in a few months when I realise that most of the general public are horrible)

To the OP - good luck. I hope you manage to find a course of education that meets your requirements and eventually....the job of your dreams

Oh thank you! I found several MS Programs yesterday, and even one in environmental engineering, and my husband and I have decided that I will get into one as soon as I get a forestry job (they require professional experience). I also sent my diplomas and transcripts to Global Evaluators, so I can finally get my GPA equivalence, and will have to start preparing for the GRE. Meanwhile, I will apply to any forest related job I can find, at the risk of making a bit less in salary, but more on the long run! I just know I'll be in debt for the rest of my young life!

As for

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

...

I think you are either a troll, or very, very silly.

[Krikit 1,165]

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

This comment is completely unnecessary, soniew910. Please refrain from snide "advice". Thank you.

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

Could you elaborate please, rheanick? How did you go about this and where did you look? Thanks very much.

[Old Dominion 26]

I take it you live in the Hampton VA area. You are among the lucky people because you do have a decent job in this economy.

Investment in forestry-related programs and projects does not appear right now to be a high priority in governmental spending. Consequently, jobs are probably scarce in that part of Virginia. The larger field of environmental science offers greater opportunities and I suggest you visit Old Dominion University to explore graduate study possibilities: http://sdi.odu.edu/cee/cee_graduate.html

In the western, mountainous part of Virginia, the demand for forestry specialists is much higher. Virginiia Tech offers degrees in that field, but you would need to relocate.

Don't be surprised that your university is unheard of in the U.S., except perhaps among academic folks.

Good luck!!!!

Oh my God, you are in Norfolk! I live in Newport News. I know Virginia Tech has one of the best graduate programs in the US, for Forestry; but it's like 6 hours away, and I don't think we are up to moving away just now.

Do you think I should get a Master's Degree, then? ODU does have a respectable one in Environmental Engineering. i was also considering applying for a teaching position with the Public Schools, for Earth Sciences, it would definitely help financially, and I could get my life together meanwhile, what do you think? thank you!

No, actually we are near Blacksburg in the mountains of western Virginia. (Where they care about forests -- eastern Virginia is all about removing forests to make land available for development). The act of visiting ODU's Environmental Engineering department will get you on the road to networking with those already in the field; even Newport News has a parks dept. and the National Park Service has naturalists working out of Yorktown. Generally, the public schools in Virginia are in a downsizing mode for now. Good luck!

[rheanick 42]

why don't you please move back to Peru. i'm saying this because you probably have a bigger chance of advancing your career in peru.

This comment is completely unnecessary, soniew910. Please refrain from snide "advice". Thank you.

Can you try looking for a professional certification? I dont have to go back to school to study. To qualify, i used my 5 years of job experience. While waiting for my green card. I reviewed for my certification. Though i have not formally look for job.. The certification helps open doors for me.

Could you elaborate please, rheanick? How did you go about this and where did you look? Thanks very much.

Krikit...

I'm a Project Management Professional (PMP). I used to handling projects in global setting.

For me to get a certification, I just need to attend 40 hours of review/training class and show minimum 3 years continuous working experience handling/leading projects.

Before i left my country, I submitted to Project Management Institute (PMI) my training and job experiences for their review. PMI approved my credentials and i was given one year to take the certification/exam.

While waiting for GC, i did self review and eventually took the exam. I passed...

If i talk to my network for any job openings.. i just mention that I'm a PMP. I'm getting positive responses.

I have another friend, who was here 2 years ahead of me, got positive responses also do to her certification. She is an IT professional.

She even started her own consulting company but had to stop when she was hired by one of the top companies here in the US.

There are lots of professional certification. The certification helps you stand out from the rest.

[Gemmie 142]

reading this post kinda makes me worried about how my Degree will be seen in USA.

Likewise. I just graduated with a BS in Psychology (with Honors) and am worried that no one will take it seriously. I asked my professor for a reference but he said most American universities or jobs won't accept overseas references and/or general recommendations.

Time will tell.

Psychology is one of the "regulated" professions; so you would need to be certified; and chances are get at least an M.A. to open a practice as a Licensed Mental Health Professional. Why not check on the requirements?

Apparently you need a Doctorate to practice psychology in the US, which means going to school for another 4 years, at least. I live in Massachusetts, which has the highest costs of education around so at the moment, I'm not willing to take out tens of thousands of dollars to get accredited.

You can be a "Mental Health Counselor" with a MA but to be honest, the US version of Masters degrees look extremely simplistic compared to the UK ones and only qualify me to do what I could do in the UK with my BS. I understand that I have to validate myself here on some US basis but I'll only do that when I have absolutely no luck with my British degree, due to finances.

I'm hoping to get an internship in Boston so that I can gain US work experience. I've been told that some places take research assistants with a BS, and I know a British girl that works there. We'll see.

I wish everyone good luck, it's not easy.